Today marks its 35th anniversary. At LEC, as part of your recent—and upcoming— language study trip to the U.S., we can’t resist wishing actress Michelle Williams a very happy birthday. And taking a moment to paint a portrait of her.
An actress born in Montana
Michelle Williams was born on September 9, 1980, in Kalispell, in northern Montana. But don’t think of her as just a “100% American” actress: she has Norwegian, English, German, Danish, Swiss, Swedish, Scottish, and Welsh roots! After moving with her family to San Diego, California—a state you may have the privilege of exploring during a language study trip to the U.S. —Michelle Williams appeared at a very young age in a local production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It was the beginning of a calling… and an unconventional career, marked by a successful transition from television to film.
From *Dawson's Creek* to Martin Scorsese
After a brief appearance in the series Baywatch, she made a lasting impression playing the character Jen Lindley for six seasons on the show Dawson’s Creek(which she referred to by its original name, Dawson’s Creek, during her language study trip to the U.S.). She landed her first major film role two years after the hit series ended: she played the wife of the cowboy portrayed by Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. She would, in fact, be married to the Australian actor for three years. From then on, Michelle Williams alternated between arthouse films and larger-scale productions. Among her major films, the following stand out:
- I’m Not There by Todd Haynes
- Wendy and Lucy by Kelly Reichardt
- Synecdoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman
- Shutter Island by Martin Scorsese
- My Week with Marilyn by Simon Curtis
- French Suite by Saul Dibb